By 
Since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, working remotely has become the norm for many employees. Working from our computers became a way to stay connected during a difficult time and eventually evolved into a new way of full or partial virtual work versus heading into the office each day.
While this certainly isn’t the way of the past, it’s definitely the present reality for about 27% of California workers. About 13% work fully remote and another 26% have hybrid arrangements in 2025, according to USA Today.
Many millennials and gen-z workers have decided that working virtually is an opportunity to physically travel wherever they want while still working.
The catch is that most of the employees opting for this type of arrangement aren’t telling their jobs that they’re combining work and pleasure in another location, thus dubbing it “quiet vacationing.” Whether some gurlies sip margaritas on a tropical island with their laptop or hop on their Zoom work meeting from the cruise ship, this trend continues to grow.
Why Do People Quiet Vacation?
Since most jobs have a set amount of vacation time, some may wonder why a “quiet vacation” is even needed. However, for many people, the allotted vacation hours don’t offer enough time or flexibility.
A 2024 Harris Poll survey found that 48% of American workers said they quiet vacationed around the July 4 in the past. Similarly, on holidays and certain seasons of the year, more people make their own travel plans without telling their employer.
The goal of quiet vacationing is to work while also claiming all the perks of a regular vacation, which could mean pre-scheduling messages and emails, hopping on work calls, etc. while also venturing to new places, enjoying travel amenities and planning activities.
With the work-centric mindsets in America and other countries, many people feel like quiet vacationing is a reclamation of autonomy while still earning a paycheck.
The Controversy Of Quiet vacations
According to Forbes, millennials and gen-z employees report “fearing their managers’ reactions, as well as the implications the time off may have on their future career prospects, such as raises and promotions.” So, quiet vacationing is a lower stakes way to take some time for themselves.
However, this raises so ethical concerns for some people. Traditional work ethics assert that an employee should always be honest, transparent and overachieving. So, taking secret vacations is certainly a big no-no.
Employers have a combination of reactions to this trend. Some show support for more employee work-life balance as long as work is done while others can’t condone the dishonesty.
Ultimately, every gurlie has to determine whether quiet vacationing makes sense for their lifestyle, job and needs.
Some Prefer Official Time Off Only
Truth be told, for some people, the idea of a quiet vacation entails way too much anxiety and risk. These gurlies rather utilize paid time off, use a sick day or talk to their boss about needing more work-life balance.
They often fear getting reprimanded or even fired so much that a quiet vacation would never be enjoyable versus their fully approved and cleared time off.
On the more extreme side, some people consider quiet vacationing to be a sign of a toxic work culture.
Is Quiet Vacationing For You?
While there are many prospectives on quiet vacationing, everyone was must decide for themselves if it works for them. Have you ever taken a quiet vacation before or are you thinking of giving one a try? Let us know in the comments.
